All 21 crew members of ship that hit Baltimore bridge are still stuck on board 7 weeks on
ALL 21 crew members of the ship that hit a Baltimore bridge are still stuck on board seven weeks on.
The 20 men from India and one Sri Lankan also had their phones confiscated by the FBI.
The 300-metre long Dali crashed into the Francis Scott Key Bridge on March 26 after blackouts caused the crew to lose steering control.
Seven construction workers fell into the Patapsco River, and only one survived.
Officials demolished parts of the collapsed steel structure on Monday, and used explosives to free the trapped cargo ship, operated by a company based in Singapore.
Gwee Guo Dua, of the Singapore Maritime Officers Union, said several visas have since expired and it is not clear when the crew will be able to leave.
The union is requesting the men be granted shore leave and the FBI return their phones as they are suffering from declining morale.
National Transportation Safety Board chair Jennifer Homendy conceded the amount of time spent on board is “unprecedented”.
The Francis Scott Key Bridge, which carries Interstate 695, collapsed at around 1:30 am after a cargo ship, destined for Sri Lanka, collided with one of its support piers.
Dramatic footage showed the bridge collapsing seconds after being hit by the ship.
As the sun rose, the full extent of the horror was on show.
The mangled wreckage of the bridge was strewn across the ship’s deck which was packed full of cargo.
Officials have compared the horror to a scene out of a movie.
A Level 1 mass casualty event had been declared – with dive teams frantically searching for people in the water.
Two people have been removed from the water, Baltimore City Fire Department Chief James Wallace told reporters.
One person refused treatment, while the other is in a serious condition and has been taken to a hospital.